Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 2 episode "Exposure." Read at your own risk!
All of the celebrity competitors managed to survive the Season 2 premiere of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, but the second episode proved to be too much for three of them. After enduring a lot of pain and verbal abuse, Tara Reid finally threw in the towel and was followed soon after by Blac Chyna and someone who later tried to return: Dez Bryant. The staff ultimately declined the ex-NFL star's request to return, and honestly, it was the right call.
For those who lapsed on a Hulu subscription or forgot to record the latest episode of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, Dez Bryant quit the program and then later asked if he could return. The episode ended with him being rejected and sent away, but given the context of all that happened, I can't be mad at the staff for making the decision they did.
Why Dez Bryant Quit Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
Dez Bryant was far and away the most physically fit competitor in Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 2. When I saw him overcome his fear of water and repeat the code phrase given to him the night before despite the freezing temperatures, I was sure he'd make it to the end. Instead, I watched minutes later as he stormed off and quit the show entirely, and I'm still a bit confused as to why.
The issues first arose during a challenge where pairs of contestants had to rappel and then run down the side of a steep concrete wall. Bryant secured himself and waited for his partner, Blac Chyna, to follow, but she had trouble working up the courage to join him. As he waited, Bryant found himself in an awkward position and began to feel pain in his stomach.
After Blac Chyna officially quit, Bryant was allowed to go down the hill on his own. By this time, the athlete was frustrated and began to yell expletives at the staff for leaving him up there so long and allowing the harness to injure him. The staff began to yell back, and as the situation escalated, Bryant handed in his armband and quit.
Other contestants felt the move was rash and that Dez Bryant acted out of anger. At the same time, others thought he was justified as he had to sit on the rope much longer than many of them did while they talked to Blac Chyna. In any case, the matter seemed over and done with until a scene showed Bryant waiting for the staff back at the base camp. Bryant apologized for his attitude and asked to return but was ultimately turned away by the staff.
Why I Agree With The Staff's Decision To Reject His Return
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test's staff made it clear why Dez Bryant wasn't allowed to return. Insubordination wouldn't fly in any actual military training, and especially not at the level at which he reacted. While they appreciated him taking the chance to apologize and recognize his actions were uncalled for, he had to go.
I agree with that, and I attribute it mainly to an incident with Tara Reid earlier in the episode. Reid began to complain that it wasn't fair for her to carry the same weighted backpack as others because she was older and had back problems. Reid was ultimately given the option to accept it or quit, and she did the latter.
Her reaction might not have been as over the top as Dez Bryant's, but it was the same type of insubordination. While the show may not be fair, it is consistent in its enforcement of the rules. Bryant's ejection showed they don't tolerate tantrums from celebrities just because they're otherwise capable of completing challenges outside of attitude problems.
And in the staff's defense, Bryant wasn't forcibly removed. He was given ample chances to return to the line, even after his outburst. It was ultimately he who ripped off the armband and handed it in. The staff made the right choice, in my opinion, though I am a bit disappointed not to see the former superstar advance.
Season 1 of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test faced a similar issue with former NFL star Danny Amendola. He argued with Director Staff Mark “Billy” Billingham, and it became just about as heated at this latest incident. Amendola ultimately apologized and never quit, at least until the finale when he was subjected to the brutal interrogation process.
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test airs new episodes on Fox on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Season 2 is off to a great start, and I know I'm eager to see who might leave next and who will make it to the end. Hopefully, we don't have as brutal of injuries as the neck injury that took out Kate Gosselin in Season 1.
